Ruling: Sterling didn't trespass at Tri-City meeting

Former Tri-City Healthcare District board member Kathleen Sterling has won a legal victory in her nearly two-year battle against the district’s administration.

A state appeals’ court on Dec. 11 upheld a lower court’s decision that Sterling did not trespass in 2011 when security guards attempted to keep her from entering the board room before the start of a board meeting, and that her actions did not damage Tri-City’s reputation.

The appeals court also upheld Sterling’s counterclaim that the district’s lawsuit was an attempt silence her constitutionally protected speech.

Sterling, who served 12 years on the board, did not seek re-election this year.

The district filed several lawsuits and restraining orders against Sterling stemming from the Feb. 24, 2011, incident in which Tri-City claimed that Sterling injured a security guard when she tried to enter the room.

The district had banned Sterling from the board room as part of sanctions the board approved against her in 2010 and earlier in 2011 for disruptiveness and unruliness. She says the actions were to silence her criticism of the administration.

Last week’s decision does not address other district claims against Sterling, which include assault and battery and negligence.

“It isn’t the ending of the case, it is simply a milestone on a long road toward the dismissal of the entire case against Kathleen Sterling,” Sterling’s attorney Scott McMillan said. “Now, we are going to address the assault and battery and negligence claims either by motion or by trial.”

Tri-City has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars fighting Sterling in court.

Spokeswoman Tarcy Connors said that the district is reviewing the ruling with its attorneys and has “not made any decision yet with regard to the court’s opinion.”